informed by those from whose judgment
on such points there is no appeal, that '_en hault courage_,' and
strict honour, I am also _precluded_, by the _terms_ of my
explanation, from using any other of Dr. Newman's past writings to
prove my assertion." And then, "I have declared Dr. Newman to have
been an honest man up to the 1st of February, 1864; it was, as I
shall show, only Dr. Newman's fault that I ever thought him to be
anything else. It depends entirely on Dr. Newman whether he shall
_sustain_ the reputation which he has so recently acquired," (by
diploma of course from Mr. Kingsley.) "If I give him thereby a fresh
advantage in this argument, he is _most welcome_ to it. He needs, it
seems to me, _as many advantages as possible_."

What a princely mind! How loyal to his rash promise, how delicate
towards the subject of it, how conscientious in his interpretation of
it! I have no thought of irreverence towards a Scripture Saint, who
was actuated by a very different spirit from Mr. Kingsley's, but
somehow since I read his pamphlet words have been running in my head,
which I find in the Douay version thus; "Thou hast also with thee
Semei the son of Gera, who cursed me with a grievous curse when I
went to the camp, but I swore to him, saying, I will not kill thee
with the sword. Do not thou hold him guiltless. But thou art a wise
man and knowest what to do with him, and thou shalt bring down his
grey hairs with blood to hell."

Now I ask, Why could not Mr. Kingsley be open? If he intended still
to arraign me on the charge of lying, why could he not say so as a
man? Why must he insinuate, question, imply, and use sneering and
irony, as if longing to touch a forbidden fruit, which still he was
afraid would burn his fingers, if he did so? Why must he "palter in a
double sense," and blow hot and cold in one breath? He first said he
considered me a patron of lying; well, he changed his opinion; and as
to the logical ground of this change, he said that, if any one asked
him what it was, he could only answer that _he really did not know_.
Why could not he change back again, and say he did not know why? He
had quite a right to do so; and then his conduct would have been so
far straightforward and unexceptionable. But no;--in the very act of
professing to believe in my sincerity, he takes care to show the
world that it is a profession and nothing more. That very proceeding
which at p. 15 he lays to my charge (whereas I detest